NSL: Coastal Heroes squeeze past Gusii to end six-game winless run

© Coastal Heroes

FOOTBALL NSL: Coastal Heroes squeeze past Gusii to end six-game winless run

Festus Chuma 20:50 - 27.04.2023

The match was nearly called off after the home team delayed providing a well equipped ambulance.

Coastal Heroes ended a six-match winless streak in the National Super League (NSL) after beating Gusii FC 1-0 in a rescheduled match played at the Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa.

Former Kilifi All Stars striker Lucky Kaingu scored the all-important goal in a match that was delayed for more than half an hour due to the lack of an equipped ambulance.

https://twitter.com/owsportsINC/status/1651595986534268929?s=20

Gusii's wheels seem to come off at the wrong time as they have now lost to straight games which derails their promotion ambitions with four points separating them from an automatic promotion place. 

The win sees Heroes move to 11th place on the log with 25 points, only four points outside the top eight, while Gusii remained third on the log with 34 points from 22 matches they have played so far this season.

Nearly an hour from the scheduled kick-off time, the two clubs still needed to agree on whether the match should be played.

Coastal Heroes were pushing to have the game played despite the lack of an on-pitch ambulance but match officials and Gusii would not allow it.

A source close to Gusii FC revealed that the match commissioner and referee rejected the ambulance provided by host team Coastal Heroes as they claimed it lacked oxygen and the requisite number of medical personnel as stipulated by the rules governing the league.

However, with the match 42 minutes behind, Heroes provided an ambulance, meeting all the stipulated requirements.

Football Kenya Federation Competitions rules require football clubs to provide ambulances with advanced life support equipment and essential life support as the acceptable minimum.

In February, an NSL match between Murang'a Seal and Darajani Gogo was called off after the hosts failed to provide an equipped ambulance at St Sebastian Park.

Gusii FC will be back in action on Monday against Vihiga United, while Coastal Heroes will take some breath as they wait for the following fixtures to be released.